Teen Faces Murder Charge

DIGEST

February 14, 1997|Staff Report

OAKLAND PARK — Police on Thursday charged a teen-ager in the January robbery and shooting death of a convenience store owner.

Freddie Washington, 16, was charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the death of Saleem Ahktar, co-owner of the Atlantic Food Store, Oakland Park Police Sgt. Patrick Murray said. Washington is being held without bail.

Washington is accused of shooting Ahktar in the head with a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 11. About $150 cash and some items from the store were taken.

An acquaintance of Washington's being interrogated by police on a different case tipped detectives to Washington's possible involvement in the murder, Murray said.

Detectives searched Washington's Fort Lauderdale home and said they found the gun used in the killing, along with some articles taken during the robbery. Washington's fingerprints matched those of some found inside the store, Murray said.

Washington already was being held at the Broward Juvenile Intervention Facility on a separate but undisclosed charge, Murray said.